Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins has reported that State Representative Rick Hansen has proposed legislation this week to better protect Minnesota’s groundwater and prevent it from being exported. The legislation is a result of a 2019 proposal from a Minnesota business to pump and ship 500 million gallons of groundwater from Dakota County to Arizona. While the proposal in 2019 was turned down by the State, Atkins is concerned another proposal to ship and sell groundwater remains in the works by the same investor group may be more difficult for the State to legally deny. As the bill is deliberated at the Capitol, Dakota County’s water protection moratorium provides time for legislators like Rep. Hansen to strengthen local and state groundwater protection laws.
Groundwater Protection Legislation Introduced
Permanent link to this article: https://kdwa.com/2021/02/groundwater-protection-legislation-introduced/
